Images

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Location

ZOOR0166

Negev. Zoora. March 11, 441 CE. White sandstone tombstone. Epitaph.

Transcription

ΜνημῖονΜνημεῖον Ἐλπιδίου Μάρωνος, ἀποθανόντος ἐτῶν λʹ, ἔτους τλεʹ, ἐν μηνὶ Δύστρου κεʹ, ἡμέρᾳ Κυρίου εʹ. ΘάρσιΘάρσει, οὐδὶςοὐδεὶς ἀθάνατος. Δόξα τῷ κτήσοντικτίσαντι τὰ πάντα.

Translation

Monument of Elpidios, (son) of Maron, who died (at the age) of 30 years, in (the) year 335, on (the) 25th (day) of (the) month Dystros, on (the) 5th day of the Lord (Thursday). Be of good cheer, no one (is) immortal. Glory to the Creator of all things.

Diplomatic

[no diplomatic]

Terminus post quem:
Terminus ante quem:
Notes
The inscription provides the date as the 5th day of the Lord (Thursday), the 25th day of the month Dystros in the year 335 according to the Era of the Province of Arabia, that is, March 11, 441 CE. The tombstone is one of about 700 discovered in Byzantine Zoora. The majority of the Greek tombstones from this location have been identified as Christian. The nearly rectangular tombstone is broken at the upper and lower right corners and chipped all around its edges. Written in a mixture of round and square script, the text is engraved upon a smoothed surface. Traces of erased letters suggest that the stone has been reused. Lines one, four, six, nine, ten, and eleven are painted over in red. The inscription is surrounded by a frame heavily outlined in red paint. A cross-rho monogram with an inverted rho appears at the end of line one. The text contains both spelling and grammatical errors.

Languages

Greek

Dimensions

H: 55 cm; W: 37 cm; D: 08 cm

Date

441 CE to 441 CE

Current location

Department of Antiquities of Jordan

Figures

  • Cross-rho at the end of line one

  • Frame surrounding the text

Bibliography

Source of diplomatic

No bibliography available for diplomatic transcription.

Source of transcription

No bibliography available for transcription.

Source of translation

No bibliography available for translation.

Other sources

  • Meimaris, Yiannis, and Kalliope Kritikakou-Nikolaropoulou. Inscriptions from Palaestina Tertia Vol. Ia: The Greek Inscriptions from Ghor Es-Safi (Byzantine Zoora). Athens, Greece: National Hellenic Research Foundation, 2005.
    Zotero
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The project can be cited as:

Satlow, Michael L., ed. 2002 - . “Inscriptions of Israel/Palestine.” Brown University. https://doi.org/10.26300/PZ1D-ST89

This inscription can be cited as:

"Inscriptions of Israel/Palestine," ZOOR0166, 12 February 2025. https:doi.org/10.26300/pz1d-st89